"Sure-Win Secret Manual?"
Everyone was taken aback upon hearing that.
Akimi immediately said,
"Something like that… can it really be trusted? Just the name alone screams scam."
"Sigh…"
Liten let out a sigh, then said:
"So at first, we didn't believe it either. But the price of that secret manual... was only 100 Col. Kibaou-san and the others figured that even if it was fake, it wouldn't be too much of a loss, so they bought it."
"Unexpectedly, the guide's information about the monsters along the Tailwind Route and its recommended paths turned out to be accurate. That made Kibaou-san and the others start believing in it. This morning, they followed the guide's info and placed a few bets at the Monster Arena—and won every single time."
"That made them completely believe in the guide… but I just don't think things are that simple. Still, they've already gotten hooked on the winning streak and won't listen…"
After saying all that, Liten sighed again.
"Judging from how DKB's acting..." Akimi frowned and said,
"They probably bought that so-called Sure-Win Secret Manual too, huh?"
Liten nodded, then said with a trace of annoyance in her voice,
"Shivata told me that DKB also encountered that NPC uncle. But when I warned him to be careful, he just brushed it off with a 'Yeah yeah, I got it, don't worry, I'll be careful'... Why are guys always like this?"
The three guys standing nearby wanted to object, but after a moment of silence, they all gave up.
Kirito had blown all his money during the beta phase just like that, even though his temporary teammates kindly warned him at the time.
Akimi had plenty of painful experience with enhancement rates—when upgrading his Nichirin Blade, his whole approach had been "next time for sure."
As for Yu Wenjun... well, he was a Genshin main in real life. Enough said.
(Yu Wenjun: What did Genshin ever do to you?!)
"At the end of the previous match, Kibaou-san and the others had already won over 50,000 chips. I'd guess DKB's earnings are similar…"
For current players, that was already a terrifying amount.
On this floor, monsters only drop between 100 to 300 Col.
A regular quest gives a few thousand at most.
Even boss drops during the beta only gave around 20,000 Col—and that was for the highest contributors.
Most players only got close to 10,000 Col.
But in just a single day, the two major guilds managed to earn gambling chips equivalent to five million Col—naturally, people would start to think, "Why am I working so hard? I might as well just go gamble instead."
"This is just... way too smooth, isn't it?" Kirito said with a hint of envy.
Although he hadn't participated in the gambling due to his beta test experience and a current quest, he couldn't help but feel a little jealous and resentful after hearing that number from Liten.
"If this were a TV drama, the final round would definitely be a trap, right? I mean, come on, a strategy guide that only costs 100 Col? There's no way it's 100% accurate."
Yu Wenjun suddenly chimed in.
While he wasn't particularly interested in gambling chips that couldn't be exchanged for Col, the whole thing felt too fantastical and suspicious.
Liten nodded and said,
"Actually, Mr. Sken said something similar. Mr. Salmon Roe and Mr. Velda agreed with him as well... but I left while they were still arguing, so I'm not sure which monster they ended up betting on."
"Oh, right, Miss Liten, there's one more thing…" Kirito suddenly remembered something, and his face tensed slightly as he spoke:
"It's about Bakzam…"
Back on the 6th floor, Bakzam and Morte ambushed Kirito, nearly killing him.
If Yu Wenjun hadn't happened to pass by at that moment, Akimi and the others would've only been able to see Kirito's name engraved on the Black Iron Palace's Monument of Life.
As a known member of a PK (Player Killer) group, Bakzam had infiltrated one of the two major guilds—DKB.
Although Liten was a member of ALS, her boyfriend, Shivata, was a high-ranking officer in DKB.
That's why Kirito wanted to ask her about Bakzam.
"About him…" Liten thought for a moment and said,
"Shivata mentioned him to me before. Since DKB recruits only elites, every applicant has to go through three stages of evaluation: level stats, sword skill proficiency, and a duel against one of the guild officers."
"Th-three stages of evaluation?!"
Everyone was shocked—could anyone actually make it into the guild with such tough requirements?
"Even though the exams are difficult, every time they hold a recruitment, two or three dozen players show up to apply. Maybe it's because DKB keeps promoting themselves as Diavel's direct successor guild… I guess to those mid-level players, he's like a legendary hero."
Diavel.
That familiar yet distant name.
On December 4th of last year, that outstanding leader—the so-called "Knight"—Diavel, left this world.
And now, it was already January 5th. In just a month's time, he had already become a legendary figure in the hearts of other players.
It was hard to believe, yet somehow understandable.
Akimi couldn't help but feel a bit emotional—but it made sense.
In the moment when all players had fallen into despair, Diavel had gathered a group of people and, through the strength of his character, inspired them.
He led them like a true hero to challenge a terrifying demon lord—and then made his exit in a truly heroic fashion.
That alone was worthy of deep respect.
And even though the two major guilds didn't see eye to eye, they both continued to promote Diavel's story, making him appear even more noble and larger-than-life in the eyes of the other players.
After a brief silence, Liten added,
"...Bakzam seems to have joined DKB near the end of the year, after drawing against Mr. Hafner in a duel. As for anything else... I don't really know."
Asuna clenched her fists tightly and said bitterly,
"PoH, Morte, Bakzam, and that dagger user… what exactly is that PK group planning to do?"
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